Warriors: Run Or Die
by Nitrogen DS
Summary: ThunderClan has all but been destroyed, having been forced away from their home and into the depths of a mysterious forest. New threats arise in the form of a Clan that seems to be hiding a deadly secret, and ancient prophecies will reveal sinister pasts.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **_This story is a sequel to Time to Kill. If you have not yet read Time to Kill, you will probably not understand most of the events going on in this story. Thank you for taking time to read this story, and please review!_

**Prologue**

The air was tainted with the acrid stench of death. The sheer stone walls of the gorge jolted into the sky like a cat's unsheathed claws. Down below, the world was still and silent, as though all time had stopped. Blood was splattered across the stone floors, and upon the walls, as though it was rising out of the ground itself. Rotting corpses and skeletal remains of warriors were scattered about, maggots and birds of prey eating away at their decaying flesh. The sunset colors washed around the canyon, illuminating the gory sight with pastel colors and filling the twilight with an unsettling sense of magic and darkness.

It was at that moment the dusk shadows of the massacred cats sprung up from their sides, where they had been trapped for a lifetime. They danced around like falling snow, scaling the walls and appearing in places in the blink of an eye. This was no trick of the light, as anyone watching would have thought. This was the deepest evil come to life, the embodiment of malice and hatred now living within the silhouettes of slain Clan members. Their very souls had mingled with the shadows, creating an unholy creature; something unnatural and strange.

_Eyes and tails, claws and fangs; those who pass here will be slain. Magic marked with malice gives malice where due, and when the dark covers the dead become you._

High atop the jagged stone walls was a cat, black as those that came from the shadows, with burning amber eyes that burned like the setting sun. Her pace was unsteady, and her balance awry, but she managed to reach the bottom of the gorge. Her ever-unsheathed claws clicked against the ground, and her wild eyes darted back and forth, taking in the sight of what her curses and powers had done. The shadows still swirled around, blurred and transparent as they moved at fantastic speeds. "Cats from the stones," she began, her voice loud and sinister, "shadows of warriors slain, I have come for you. The time of the Gloaming comes soon, and you must be ready."

In an instant, the shadows lined up, standing side by side in positions that looked as though they were ready for fierce battle. The black she-cat dipped her head, and continued on. "A third of you to the living," she meowed. At that instant, a group of the shadow cats turned back into the forms they had had when they were still living. "You will be granted with immortality, and will live out your eternity here, guarding the stones forever."

She looked to the sky, and back down to the silhouette cats. "A third to the dead," was her command this time. In an instant, another group of shadow cats vanished. "You will prowl the dark forests, and the places without stars forever. You will create fear and terror in the living cats, and exploit it."

"And a third of you to the masquerade," the she-cat meowed with a grin. The remaining group of cats turned into cats of all kind, in every shape, size, and color. "You are the deceivers and tricksters of your kind. You will live among the traitor kin, but you will not remember who you are or where you come from. You will be my eyes, and you will keep the secrets." With that, the group of silhouette cats vanished, gone to live out their lives in another place.

She turned to the remaining cats, the guardians of the territory. "You will worship me, and me alone," she hissed. "I am Newmoon, your maker and your guide. You, cats of stone and shadow, are all mine."

Out of the crowd of cats stepped a lithe silver tabby tom, with eyes like ice and a dark aura surrounding him. "I am Ice," he meowed. "Ice of the Stone, and I am your servant and the command of my Clan."

From behind Ice stepped a ginger tabby she-cat, a mystical sparkle in her pale green eyes. "I am the Seer of Dawn," she announced. "I am your servant, and the dreamseeker of my Clan."

"You have given us life again," Ice meowed. "We are truly grateful to you. In this, we can take our revenge upon the traitor kin."

Dawn let out a vengeful hiss. "Yes, they will pay for their treachery and massacre of our kind."

Newmoon gazed at the two outspoken cats, knowing that they had been the Leader and Healer of the Clan that lived in the gorge. They were valuable and wondrous cats, both of them possessing the Inner Gift. Ice was also a tactical mastermind; cunning and swift, and Dawn had fury, intelligence and skill far beyond what other cats of her Clan possessed. "You are both blessed cats," Newmoon meowed. "You will remain in your positions, and I will keep in contact with you directly."

"Please," Ice cut in suddenly, "Dawn was heavy with kits when the traitor kin attacked, yet I do not see them here, and I did not see them before. What have you done with them?"

Newmoon's eyes flashed, but then softened. "Your kits serve an important role in my plan," she informed them. "I have sent them as masquerade. They have the Inner Gift, as you do, and they will usher in the Great Night. They are key to vengeance upon the traitor kin."

"Tell me what they look like," pleaded Dawn. "I want to know!"

"There are three," Newmoon began, "two tom-kits and one she-kit. The eldest is a tom much like his father, Ice. He is gray like ashes after a fire."

"Then I will call him Ash," meowed Dawn. "Ash of the Fire, that will be his name." Ice nodded in approval, and they both sat together, waiting for Newmoon to continue.

"The second resembles you, Dawn, with fire-fur and thorny stripes," Newmoon meowed. "Also a tom, like the first."

It was Ice who spoke up this time. "I will call him Blaze in the Nettles," he announced. "It sounds perfect, doesn't it? For his fire-fur and his thorny stripes, I mean."

Newmoon was slightly bothered by the behavior of the two cats she had chosen to continue to lead the cats of the stones, though she wasn't about to remove them from their positions as she knew of their skills. She let them continue to talk amongst themselves about their offspring. "The last is the she-kit, brown like a cave and with stripes across her fur," she finished.

"More stripes?" Dawn said thoughtfully. "Brown like a cave... She will be Echo of the Caves!" Her voice was confident. "Because caves echo, and her stripes are like an echo of her brother's stripes."

Ice stared at Dawn for a moment. "But Dawn, Ash was named for his ash-like fur, Blaze was named for his fire-fur... Shouldn't Echo be called Dirt or Mud?"

"No! Those are horrible names! Echoes are wonderful and beautiful, dirt and mud is disgusting and takes forever to wash off of your pelt!" spat Dawn. "Her name is Echo, and that's the end of it!"

"But names should be what the kit looks like, not what they sound like!" Ice argued.

"Since when did that become a rule?" Dawn growled.

Newmoon narrowed her eyes. "Silence, both of you! You're acting like kits, arguing over the names of your children. Ash, Blaze, and Echo – those are fine names, and that is what they shall be, or at least to you. There is no guarantee that they will keep these names through their lives."

"And why not?" Dawn asked. "If we spent so much trouble over naming them, I think their names should stay that way."

"And I agree," Ice meowed with a nod.

Newmoon's patience was wearing thin. There was no pleasing these headstrong cats. Silently, she cursed them both, though not with her powers, simply with her thoughts. "I will manipulate their names as best as I can," she hissed. "But remember, they will be living with the traitor kin, and their names and ways are different." Her voice began to grow darker and lower. "Now, I want to warn you all. If you leave your territory before the Great Night, you will be turned to stone as soon as you set paw outside your border." Frightened looks came from the members of the Clan.

"There are more rules," she continued. "If any outsider enters your territory, you are to capture them, and make them a sacrifice to me, Newmoon the Mystic. For every time you fail to do this, I will turn a member of your Clan into stone." There were more frightened looks, and murmuring from everyone.

A shy-looking tabby-and-white she-cat spoke up softly. "Will we mothers still be able to have kits," she asked quietly. "And will they grow, or will they stay young forever?"

Newmoon bared her teeth at the shy she-cat, sending her scrambling back into the ranks. "Yes, the Mothers of the Clan will still be able to have kits. They will grow, but upon being assigned their Clan rank, they will be turned immortal like the rest of you."

This time, a smoky gray tom spoke up. "Immortal, you say? But not invincible, I suppose," he meowed.

"Yes, you can live forever, but if you're killed in battle against an outsider or other cat, you will either be sent to the darker forests to live with the other shadows, or you will be turned to stone," Newmoon answered. "And you'd better hope it's the former, rather than the latter. Those who are sent to live in the dark forest are those who are loyal to me, while those who are turned to stone are the traitors."

"We understand," Ice meowed, his immature attitude gone and replaced with collected deadliness. "We will do as you ask."

The sky was now growing black, and Newmoon turned away. "I'm going to leave you all now," she hissed quietly. "And I will not be back until the Gloaming and the Great Night. But remember, I will always be watching you..."

She vanished in a swirl of black smoke-like darkness rising from the ground, leaving the undead Clan of cats behind. The plan had been set in motion, and soon judgment would come to the traitor kin... And there would be a great darkness like none ever seen before...


	2. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: **Lightningstar – black she-cat with a white tail

**Deputy: **Duskpool – brown tabby tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Skyflight – gray tom with green eyes

(apprentice: Leopardpaw)

**Warriors: **_(toms and she-cats without kits)_

Sunleaf – brown tabby she-cat

(apprentice: Dawnpaw)

Mossclaw – brown and white tabby tom

Redfrost – reddish-brown tabby tom

Barleywhisker – brown tabby tom with amber eyes

(apprentice: Shrewpaw)

Creeksplash – pale ginger she-cat with white paws and underbelly

Thistlestripe – tabby tom

(apprentice: Robinpaw)

Brindlefur – tortoiseshell she-cat with gray eyes

Nettlefang – tabby tortoiseshell she-cat

Smokespots – dappled gray tom

**Apprentices: **_(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)_

Leopardpaw – golden-brown spotted tabby tom

Dawnpaw – tortoiseshell she-cat

Shrewpaw – dusky brown she-cat

Robinpaw – brown tabby tom

Wrenpaw – red and white tabby tom

Daisypaw – brown spotted tabby-calico she-cat

**Queens: **_(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)_

Echoheart – small brown tabby she-cat

**Elders: **_(former warriors and queens, now retired)_

Stoneclaw – broad-shouldered gray tabby tom

Foxcatcher – reddish tabby tom

Spottedflower – calico she-cat

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **Hawkstar – black she-cat

**Deputy: **Beetlestripe – dark gray tabby tom

**Medicine Cat: **Lizardtail – dark brown tabby tom

(apprentice: Longwhisker)

**Warriors:**

Jaggedmark – tabby she-cat

(apprentice: Tallpaw)

Marshwing – black tom

Brackenwhisker – small tabby she-cat

(apprentice: Volepaw)

Icebelly - dark brown she-cat with a white underbelly

Eaglewatcher – ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Herbstream – white tom

(apprentice: Ratpaw)

Goldenfang – ginger she-cat

(apprentice: Sparrowpaw)

**Queens:**

Tawnycloud – light brown tabby she-cat

Mothfur – black and white she-cat

**Elders:**

Applewhisker – tortoiseshell she-cat with gray eyes

Spidereyes – white tom with black paws

Brightfur – white she-cat

**WindClan**

**Leader: **Flamestar – ginger tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **Runningfoot – tabby she-cat

**Medicine Cat: **Bramblenose – black and white tom

**Warriors:**

Blackleaf – black she-cat

(apprentice: Cherrypaw)

Ravenwing – black tom with yellow eyes

Pinetail – dark brown tabby tom

Crookedleg – gray tom

(apprentice: Blossompaw)

Runningfoot - tabby she-cat

Twigbreak – beautiful calico she-cat

Juniperstripe – brown tabby tom

(apprentice: Russetpaw)

Honeyeyes – tabby she-cat with orange eyes

(apprentice: Crowpaw)

Feathercloud – light brown tabby tom

Fleetfoot – black tom with amber eyes

**Queens: **

Splashbrook – black and white she-cat with gray eyes

Seedfoot – white and black she-cat

Hazelfeather – pale gray she-cat

**Elders:**

Thistletail – light brown tabby tom

Fernfoot – gray tabby she-cat

Talonbird – brown tabby she-cat

**RiverClan**

**Leader: **Reedstar – old dark gray she-cat

**Deputy: **Leafspots – ginger she-cat

**Medicine Cat: **Ashtail – gray tom

**Warriors:**

Turtlefoot – mottled dark gray she-cat

(apprentice: Brookpaw)

Slatebelly – smoky gray tom with amber eyes

Lotusbloom – ginger and white she-cat

Crowheart – black tom

(apprentice: Fogpaw)

Larchfang – pale gray tabby she-cat

Willowclaw – dark gray tabby

(apprentice: Dustpaw)

Coalfrost – black and white tom with yellow eyes

(apprentice: Harepaw)

**Queens:**

Graystorm – dark gray she-cat

Heatherheart – red tabby

**Elders:**

Grassfur – small gray tabby tom

Smallwhisker – tabby tom with green eyes

**StoneClan**

**Leader: **Icestone – silver tabby tom

**Healer: **Dawnseer – ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest

**Hunters****:**

Mousecatcher – black tom

Flamecatcher – red tabby she-cat

Snakecatcher – tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Breezecatcher – white she-cat

**Fighters:**

Lionbite – ginger tabby tom

Thornbite – black and white tom

Shadowbite – smoky gray tom

Frostclaw – cream colored she-cat with blue eyes

Vineclaw – dark tabby she-cat

**Mothers:**

Violetheart – white she-cat with tabby patches

Flowerheart – calico she-cat

**Learners:**

Ripple – silver tabby tom with a white muzzle

Leaf – brown tabby tom

Wind – black she-cat

Snow – white tom with blue eyes

Gorse – ginger tabby she-cat

**Wise Ones:**

Bird – brown tom

Gale – blue tabby she-cat

Ginger – ginger she-cat

**Cats Outside Clans**

Blaze – heavyset ginger tabby tom

Marco – tabby tom

Todd – orange-red tom with blue eyes

Jett – black she-cat

Neko – cream colored tom with black ears

Fleck – gray dappled she-cat

Willy – plump black and white tom

Newmoon – old black she-cat with burning amber eyes


	3. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Led by Skyflight, a band of cats walked through the twisted forest. Each of them had wide eyes, and expressions of curiosity and fear. In truth, the small gray medicine cat who led them didn't know in which direction they were going, or the generally direction of the camp at all. He was going be luck and intuition, and that would have to do. Every tree seemed to look like the next, crooked and bare, branches reaching in every direction. He paused briefly to sniff the air for any trace of ThunderClan scent, but it was of no use. If there was any trace of scent, it was overpowered by the musky, dank stench rising from the moist ground.

Skyflight cursed to himself, pressing forward despite the fact that he was lost. He'd get somewhere eventually, whether it be back to the camp or elsewhere. What he wasn't about to do was let the band of cats know that he didn't have a clue as to where the were headed. He stopped again, turning to them. "We're almost there," he lied to them. "The camp is only a short ways ahead."

His statement was met by looks of doubt from the rogues. Skyflight's dark gray ears began to pin against his head. These foreign cats, one of them undoubtedly being the savior of ThunderClan, were looking down on him as though he were a bug or other pest. His skin crawled with embarrassment, in turn making his fur start to stand on end. Finally, he could take no more of their stares in his direction. "Alright, I admit it! I don't know where I'm going. I've only been here for a few days, and our territory isn't quite established and – I'm confused!" he blurted out.

"Really?" asked a lean cream-colored cat. "I thought you knew perfectly well where you were going."

"So did I," mewed a particularly plump-looking black and white tom. "I don't want to be lost!"

Skyflight's embarrassment was now at its fullest. He looked down at the ground, silently berating himself for admitting he was lost when he hadn't needed to. The large, golden tabby cat who seemed to lead the group approached his side, bright green eyes filled with sympathy. _I don't need you to feel sorry for me, _Skyflight thought bitterly. He wasn't ungrateful for it, but he felt deeply inferior in the presence of this prophesied cat and Blaze's sympathy felt more condescending than genuine.

"It's alright," Blaze comforted. "We'll find your Clan's camp, I promise. There's no need to get so upset."

Skyflight looked up. "I know that, Blaze," he murmured quietly. "I've just not been doing well recently. So many terrible things are happening to me. I guess that comes along with being a medicine cat, though."

"What's a medicine cat?" asked a lean tabby cat.

"A medicine cat is a cat who heals the injured or sick members of the Clan, and who speaks to StarClan in dreams," Blaze replied.

Skyflight felt his skin tingle. "How did you know that?" he exclaimed. Most cats that came from outside the Clans were oblivious to how things worked within. They had no idea of StarClan, nor the ranks within the Clans. Most often, the cats of the Clans were thought to be cannibalistic barbarians who killed everything in their paths.

There was no reply from Blaze.

_How did you know that? _Skyflight repeated mentally. _You wouldn't know that... _

"Oh, I see, more of that silly superstitious nonsense about star-cats," the tabby cat purred teasingly. Blaze meowed with laughter right along with him.

Offended, Skyflight jumped towards them. "It's not silly superstitious nonsense!" he defended, eyes blazing with fury. "I've seen them, I've talked to them! They're as real as anything..."

"Just dreams," meowed a jet black she-cat. "That's all it is – dreams. You only imagine speaking with these cats, but it's not true at all. No one can speak with the dead, that's absurd."

It was at that instant that Skyflight realized he was surrounded by a crowd of cats who didn't believe in StarClan, or anything related to them. They had been raised with other beliefs; different afterlives or perhaps none at all. They knew nothing of wonder and power StarClan held. They knew nothing of the prophecies, and dreams, and the ancestors who watched over the living. He gritted his teeth in anger and contempt, his fur still bristled as he turned away from them.

"There's no convincing them," he growled to himself.

"I smell more cats," a fox-like cat hissed. "They're not too far from here, and they're in that direction." His bushy tail flicked in the direction the scent was wafting from.

"Thank StarClan!" Skyflight exclaimed. "Quick, lead us to them!"

At the mention of StarClan, the black she-cat snorted. Once again, Skyflight felt offended and bitter. This was one cat he was sure he wasn't going to get along with. The fox-like cat led them into the woods, carrying them in the direction he claimed the scent was coming from. It wasn't long before they reached the camp. Skyflight gawked at the red cat's tracking skills. He hadn't smelled the Clan until they were mere fox-lengths away, the scent of ThunderClan having been cloaked by the musky smell of the dark forest.

As soon as they entered the camp, they were greeted by a hostile hiss coming from Lightningstar. She rushed towards them, claws extended and fur standing on end. Skyflight knew very well why she was acting so defensive. Her Clan was weak, and outsiders could easily take advantage of that. It was going to take a lot of convincing to get her to let the group of rogues stay.

"Skyflight, who are these cats and why have you brought them here?" she spat angrily. She stalked towards them, a deadly glare in her eyes.

Skyflight quickly rushed to her side and attempted to console her. "It's alright, Lightningstar, these are good cats," he meowed. He then lowered his voice and whispered in her ear. "I received a sign from StarClan a while ago. I didn't tell you about it, because I didn't have time." His tail flicked in the direction of Blaze. "See that cat over there? He's the cat who'll save our Clan, if I'm correct."

"And if you're not correct, we waste food and time on these mangy rogues!" Lightningstar yowled, causing Skyflight to cringe.

"Please, just let them stay, for my sake," pleaded Skyflight. "If I'm wrong, you can send them away – and I'll take full responsibility for everything. If they do anything wrong, you can blame me as much as them."

Lightningstar turned away from Skyflight, and stared at the small crowd of cats. "Alright, Skyflight," she meowed, giving in. "But you'd better be right about this, or I _will _make sure you suffer consequences."

The gray medicine cat felt his stomach lurch. Lightningstar was dead serious about this. She wasn't about to weaken her Clan any further. If the group of rogues slipped up, Skyflight was going to be the one to pay for their mistakes. "I understand," he meowed solemnly.

"By the way, what are their names? They do have names, don't they?" Lightningstar asked.

"Er – yes!" Skyflight replied. His tail flicked towards the massive ginger tabby. "That's Blaze and... I don't know the rest. We aren't quite introduced."

"My name is Marco," the dark tabby tom meowed huskily. "I am the leader of this Gang, and a cat descended from BloodClan."

This was met by a vicious hiss from Lightningstar. Already things were not seeming to go well. Legends of BloodClan still echoed throughout the Clans, perhaps more overblown and exaggerated as time went by.

"And I'm Todd," meowed the fox-like cat. His bushy tail swished back and forth. "I am affiliated with this group. I find your customs and traditions strange, and I dislike them." His meow was very blunt, and this statement caused Lightningstar to let out another hiss of disapproval.

"I'm Jett," the black she-cat introduced herself. "I also find your customs and traditions strange, and your belief in StarClan to be mouse-brained."

Lightningstar was glaring at Skyflight with a look that could kill. It was clear she didn't approve of these strange cats barging in and criticizing the beliefs and traditions the Clans had held for countless seasons.

"I'm Neko," said the slender, oriental-looking cat. "I actually find your clams fascinating!"

Skyflight saw Jett lean over and correct him. "It's Clans, you stupid furball," she meowed. Neko's ears flattened in embarrassment.

"I-I'm Willy," murmured the plump black-and-white tom, shyly, "and this is my mother, Fleck. She's very nice to everyone, and soon she's going to have more kits. That's more brothers and sisters for me. They usually leave, but I didn't leave. Mother needed at least one of her kits to stay with her." Fleck nodded gratefully to her son for introducing her.

Lightningstar took in all this information with a sour look on her face. "I despise the fact that you cats have openly mocked our beliefs and traditions, but if Skyflight claims one of you is the savior of our Clan... I believe him," she spat.

"I don't wish to stay," Blaze meowed suddenly. "I don't wish to help the Clan that betrayed me."

Skyflight's eyes shot open. What was this cat talking about? How had ThunderClan betrayed him when they hadn't even met him! He had to stay, he was most definitely the cat Skyflight saw in his dreams. There was no doubt in his mind. Disappointment flooded over him like a tidal wave of water.

"Please, at least stay for a couple of days," he begged. "It'll give you time to rest up before going back to wherever you come from – and maybe you'll change your mind between now and then."

"I doubt that," rumbled Blaze. "But we'll stay, just for the next couple of days."

Skyflight dipped his head to them and turned away. His mind was reeling with mixed emotions. He felt pressured, stressed, and generally sick to his stomach. The cat he knew would save the Clan didn't want to; his leader was disappointed in him for dragging disrespectful rogues into the territory; and he was still upset over the encounters with the silhouette cats. He slunk into his medicine cat den, where Leopardpaw was watching over the injured Dawnpaw faithfully. He ignored the meow of greeting, and slumped down in the corner, ears flat against his head. Things had better improve soon, or he was going to loose it.

--

Blaze looked around the makeshift ThunderClan camp. Its obvious state of disrepair told him that they truly hadn't been there for more than a couple of days. He and the rogues kept out of the way of Clan cats, who didn't even seem to notice them as they struggled to hunt and build shelter. He'd noticed the way Skyflight had been acting. He was tense, nervous, and very shaken up about something. His typical calm demeanor had all but gone completely. His brother didn't know who he was, but he knew him. He knew most of these cats, though there were some unfamiliar faces in the crowd, and some cats were obviously missing.

His eyes scanned the camp once again, and that's when he caught the eye of a brown tabby she-cat. She was gaunt and flea bitten, but still recognizable. Her amber eyes echoed a wild stare. Her belly was swollen and round, and he guessed that she was heavy with kits. _Echoheart... _Blaze narrowed his eyes and walked over to his old friend. She caught his gaze, and looked him up and down admiringly.

"Well hello, there," she meowed. Her voice still tinkled like the bell on a collar, but it was slightly deeper, and had the faintest hint of a rasp. "You're quite the tom, aren't you?" That's when Blaze noticed that her gaze was more flirtatious than curious.

"My name is Echoheart," the tabby she-cat meowed. "What's your name?"

"Blaze," he responded simply.

She let out a giggling meow and approached him, brushing her tail up against his side. Despite her somewhat ragged appearance, her face was still beautiful. Her eyes, though dull from starvation, still held the sparkle they did seasons ago. "You know, as soon as I've had these kits," she started, "maybe we can – have some of our own..." She purred and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

Blaze was astonished by her behavior. She had a mate already, obviously, and so did he. "I'm sorry, I'm not interested." The look in her eyes changed to anger for a brief moment before flickering back to flirtatiousness.

"Come on now," she meowed. "I'd gladly give up this life to come and life with you rogues. Life outside the Clans sounds so exciting! I'd give up my warriorship, my mate, my kits..."

Blaze's lip curled in disgust. He hadn't willingly given up everything to live with the Gang. Seasons ago he would have given anything to go back to the Clan. Here Echoheart was, ready to abandon everything for a life she had no idea of. They'd only seen each other for a brief moment, yet she was clearly infatuated with him.

"No," Blaze spat flatly. "You have a life here, and you need to stay with it. Things may be hard now, but you'll pull through eventually."

"I'm tired of this life!" she complained dramatically. "I want to live in a far better place. Just look at me! My coat is matted, my whiskers are drooped... But you, your fur is soft and healthy. You're muscular and well-fed... Things must be wonderful for you."

Trying to change the subject, Blaze decided to ask a question. "Is this your first or second litter?" He knew that Echoheart had been carrying kits last he saw her. Redstripe's kits, no less. "And who's the father?"

"This is my second litter," she meowed softly. "The father is Barleywhisker... I don't like him much at all, though. He doesn't understand me enough. He tells me he loves me, but I know he doesn't mean it at all. He's just a stupid furball, and he doesn't look nearly as attractive as you!"

_How shallow! _Blaze thought, staring at her condescendingly. This Barleywhisker cat was probably a very good mate, not at all like Echoheart was describing. "Oh? What are the names of your first kits?" he asked, ignoring her description of her mate.

"Redfrost and Nettlefang," she replied. "They're both named after toms I used to know. One of them died, the other was exiled and is probably dead as well." Her eyes welled with sadness as she spoke. "But I'm okay, now! I'm fine with it..." It was painstakingly clear she wasn't fine with it. Two of her best kithood friends had died, and the other had decided to become a medicine cat as opposed to a warrior. "Redfrost is a tom, and a fabulous fighter and tracker! He amazes me with his skills all the time! I also have Nettlefang, who's the best huntress in the Clan! She helped us through many times where we nearly starved by tracking down even the most elusive prey."

It was good that her kits had turned out to be loyal, respectable warriors, despite having been Redstripe's offspring. Echoheart's behavior, however, left a lot to be desired. She'd leave her mate and Clan for the first outsider cat who walked into the Clan. They hadn't really even 'known' each other for more than a few moments.

"They sound like wonderful kits," he meowed. "I hope I'll be able to meet them sometime. It would be excellent to meet famous warriors like your kin."

"Maybe you can find them around," meowed Echoheart. She gazed around the camp, looking for her son and daughter. "I think they're out hunting together, though."

"Oh, that's no problem. I'll meet them later." Blaze's tail swished back and forth. There seemed to be no way of avoiding talking to Echoheart.

"Blaze!" came a call.

He turned to see Jett padding in his direction. He murmured silent thanks as she joined him. She stared in disgust at Echoheart, taking in her starved figure with disapproval. "I expected the Clan cats to be better fed than this," she growled. "Look at you – and carrying kits as well – I'm disgusted."

"What do you know, you mangy rogue?" spat Echoheart, fur bristling.

"More than you do, that's for sure," Jett meowed condescendingly. "You must eat like a bird to look how you look. That's dangerous for kits, you know. I'm carrying kits, myself, and I eat whenever I get the chance. They'll turn out healthier that way."

"My Clan was forced out of their home by opposing Clans! They stole our food, our kits, and our land – you can't expect us to be in good shape after that!" Echoheart screeched.

"Your food stock looks fine to me," Jett meowed, flicking her tail towards the fresh-kill pile. "Why don't you go get yourself a nice squirrel, furball. It'll put more meat on your bones, and you won't look like a sick, disgusting weakling."

Blaze shook his head. "Jett, don't be so harsh towards her. These cats have been through a whole lot, you know. They were driven from the land they'd lived on for seasons."

"I don't care, she's clearly irresponsible. When she has her kits, I'll bet most of them will be stillborn. She moves around too much for a cat heavy with kits," Jett scolded. "She doesn't eat enough, too. They'll be dead, you'll see."

Echoheart's hackles rose, and her ears pinned against her head. "They won't be dead! They'll be perfectly healthy and happy, just like my previous litter."

"I think it's cruel to even bring kits into an environment like this," snorted Jett. "Maybe it _is_ best if they died. At least then they wouldn't have to be raised in conditions like these."

"That's quite enough, Jett!" Blaze meowed harshly. "Please, don't tease these cats. They're skilled warriors, and there are a lot of them. They can and will attack us if we continue to do this to them."

"_Barbarians_," Jett hissed under her breath.

Echoheart like out an indignant hiss and stalked over to the fresh-kill pile to eat. Blaze let out a sigh and turned to his mate. Jett was most likely just cranky from her pregnancy, but she still had to be careful. He didn't want Skyflight to get in trouble for anything they did. His brother didn't deserve to be punished for anything he didn't do. He'd clearly been through quite the ordeal. The look in Skyflight's pale green eyes from time to time suggested he might snap if anything else happened to him. Blaze was determined to make sure that didn't happen.

--

In the twisted, crooked depths of the forest, a black she-cat limped. Her amber eyes were burning like a fire, and her claws snagged the ground with every step. Her figure was gaunt and she looked more like a black skeleton than a full cat. She looked up at the starless sky through blazing eyes, and let out a meow of laughter. Soon, it would be time for revenge on the traitor kin. Her cats of masquerade were spread throughout the territories, doing their dirty work from within. They would weaken the Clans, and when the final time of Gloaming and the Great Night came, the traitor kin would not be able to defend themselves.

She was close to the cats of stone now. She had watched them with clairvoyance for years and years. Many of them had been turned into stone, but a few of them still survived and remained. Ice and Dawn watched over their Clan like hawks, both of them doing excellent jobs at leading. Those cats with the Inner Gift truly had been good choices. Intelligent and deadly – exactly what she had been looking for. Now she was going to visit them, as their time was coming soon. It was merely a few more moons until the promise of revenge would be fulfilled.

"Traitor kin, you will pay for your treachery," Newmoon hissed. "You will pay for the massacre of the cats of stone, and you will pay for shunning the Gifts of the Mystics."

With a hiss and a yowl, darkness rose from the ground to cloak and conceal her. She vanished without a trace, leaving the dark forest in an off-kilter peace. Dread crept through the air, and fear scent from all corners of the dead forest. It was silent until the shadows began moving. They rose up from the ground, shifting and morphing between forms of cats and unknown shapes. A chorus of hisses rose from them, and they charged into the night, letting out eerie, distorted battle cries. The scene was like a nightmare. Had anything living been around, it would have been dead, in the twinkling of an eye.

Lights flickered about the forest, like fireflies in a deadly dance. In an instant, all of the silhouette cats vanished, also cloaked by smoke-like darkness. Lighter fog began to form across the ground upon their vanishing. Steam came up from the ground, and the uneasy peace returned to the dark forest. Even the trees themselves knew that something terrible was coming. Newmoon would not stop until the traitor kin had all been destroyed, and her dark magic was more than capable of doing just that...


	4. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Blaze curled his tail around his paws. It had been several days since he'd come to the ThunderClan camp. He was already getting to know everyone. He caught up with the familiar cats, and was introduced to the ones he didn't know. His identity was still a mystery to them. They didn't know he was Nettlepaw. Nettlepaw was dead, in their mind – and in his mind, too. Blaze would have left the camp days ago, if not for the fact that Fleck had suddenly given birth to her litter of kits. Skyflight, the Clan's medicine cat, was almost too overjoyed at this. It meant the group of rogues had to stay even longer, much to his delight.

His disillusioned older brother seemed to think that he was some Clan savior. He wouldn't stop meowing about it, over and over again. Blaze knew he was nothing special. He was simply the second-in-command of a gang of rogues. He wasn't heroic, and he never received any prophecies. All he was was a normal cat. Skyflight's enthusiastic insisting was less than impressive to him. Even now, the medicine cat was speaking with Lightningstar about prophecies and omens. He just didn't know when to quit. Blaze wasn't about to save ThunderClan, not after what they'd done to him. He owed them nothing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jett arguing with Echoheart again. It was clear they both hated each other. Jett had been sticking closer to Blaze recently, and had observed Echoheart's behavior around him. She wasn't the only one to notice, though. Echoheart's young mate, Barleywhisker, had at often times sneered in Blaze's direction. It wasn't merely mistrust of outsiders, either. If Echoheart continued to share tongues with Blaze so often, things could come down to fighting. Barleywhisker seemed like the type to fight for the affection of a mate.

A yowl came from Jett and Echoheart's direction. Jett had struck the other she-cat on the muzzle, a blow which had drawn blood. The gaunt queen, Echoheart, knew she would endanger herself and her kits if she fought back. Luckily, Lightningstar rushed in their direction to stop Jett before she did more damage.

"You stupid furball!" spat Lightningstar. Her fur was bristling, and her amber eyes glinted. "Get out of here, now! All of you rogues!"

"Wait, no!" Skyflight immediately protested. "I'm so sorry for this – but, please, let them stay! I mean, one of their cats has had kits, it'd just be cruel to send them away."

"That's too bad," the ThunderClan leader growled. "They're leaving immediately."

"Well, if they leave, I go with them!" spat Skyflight. There was clear reluctance in his voice. "At least let me talk to them. We'll leave the camp for a few days, I'll make sure that when they come back, they'll be better..."

Blaze saw Lightningstar murmur something in his ear which made the gray cat freeze in terror. The rest of their conversation was mysterious and brief, but it looked as though Skyflight would be coming with them. Gingerly, Skyflight trotted over to Blaze, his ears lowered against his head.

"We have to go for a little while," he murmured. "Lightningstar says Fleck and her kits can stay, but we have to leave until you lot can calm down a little." There was a deep sadness, and a hint of fear in the medicine cat's voice. It was clear he didn't want to leave, but he had to. Blaze yet again felt sympathy for him. He was responsible for the gang of rogues, and most of them had only wanted to make trouble.

"I'll gather the rest of them up," Blaze meowed. "I'm very sorry about this. Jett – her behavior was unacceptable."

"It wasn't just her, Lightningstar says." Skyflight looked down at his paws. "Marco and Todd were also making trouble. They had Daisypaw and Shrewpaw chasing blue squirrels out in the woods. They could have been lost out there – or worse." The medicine cat's gray ears pinned against his head as he spoke, and fear clouded his pale green eyes. Was there something out there he was afraid of? What was it?

He didn't respond to him, not knowing quite what to say. He'd rather they apologize for their own behavior, instead of him having to do it. In a short amount of time, the small gang of rogues were gathered together, ready to journey away from the camp. Blaze could see how tentative Skyflight was being as he led them. The medicine cat was looking back and forth, and fear scent was coming off of him in waves. He didn't know where they were going, that was for sure. He was leading them blind into the darkness of the eerie forest.

Blaze knew they needed to find shelter by the time night came. It was no good staying out in the open where predators could creep up, or severe weather could strike. He watched Skyflight, wondering where he would lead them. The medicine cat's tail dragged along the forest floor, and his whiskers drooped. It wasn't as though he'd been exiled from the Clan, so what was there to be so upset about? Lightningstar had only asked them to leave until they were calm enough to come back and stop making trouble.

The forest continued to grow darker and darker the further they walked into it. Crooked, barren trees bent down to touch the ground in places. Vines dangled in their way, brushing their pelts as they walked beneath them. Gradually, the ground began to grow hillier, with dips and rises in the ground. Scenery began to change, and the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance.

"Where are we?" asked Neko, his eyes round and wide.

Skyflight timidly took another step forward. "I – I don't know," he murmured. "I've never been_ this _far away from the camp before."

Blaze blinked. The forest was beginning to seem more lush around them now. There were leaves on these trees, and there was sunlight streaming through the branches above. Despite the brighter atmosphere, this forest still felt wrong. There were no scents, no animals – and no sounds beyond the wind through the trees and rippling water.

"It looks good here," Todd meowed. "Or at least, it looks better here than it did back there."

"I agree, let's find shelter and stay out here," mewed Jett. "In this type of forest, there's bound to be a good amount of kill."

Skyflight lifted his head to look at the sky. Blaze could see relief wash over the gray medicine cat. Sunlight was more than welcome when you'd seen none for days. He continued to lead them in search of shelter. The trees began to fan out before them, revealing an exit from the forest. Grass bordered the trees at the top of the hill. Suddenly, Skyflight stopped in his tracks. Blaze looked ahead, trying to figure out what had startled him. In the distance, there was the silhouette of a cat against the sun's rays.

"Who could that be?" murmured Blaze.

They rushed to the top of the hill where the cat was standing. The hill was where the forest ended, and a different land began. Blaze watched as Skyflight gingerly stepped towards the cat, his fur bristled and his eyes wide. The cat didn't move, but instead stood still as stone. Blaze drew closer, following his brother's lead. An unsettling emotion had implanted itself in the pit of his stomach. As they came closer to the cat, it became clear that it wasn't alive. It wasn't even a cat. It was made out of stone, frozen with a look of sheer terror in it's eyes.

"What in the name of StarClan...?" Skyflight sniffed the stone. "What is this?"

"It's a rock formation," Marco meowed, confidently. "I've seen many of those before. They look like something, but they're really not. They're just rocks."

"No, it's too perfect," Blaze meowed in a low tone. This didn't seem like a natural phenomenon to him. It seemed like someone had taken a cat and turned it into stone. That was impossible, though.

Jett's tail lashed impatiently. "I don't care what it is. Let's just find some place to stay the night out here."

"Look, over here!" called Willy.

Blaze padded over to where the black and white cat was standing and followed his gaze. Before them, a dry patch of land fanned out. The land dipped down towards a gorge lined with jutting rocks that reached towards the sun. The smell of death and rotting flesh rose from it, causing Blaze's nose to wrinkle in disgust.

"That looks like a good place to spend the night," meowed Todd.

_Yeah, if you're keen on smelling carrion all night long, _thought Blaze. He turned to his brother, who seemed drawn towards the canyon in a magnetic way. Was the medicine cat truly considering spending the night in a place that smelled like crowfood?

"Wait a moment, I think I smell other cats!" exclaimed Marco.

"I can't smell anything over that horrible stench," growled Jett. She didn't seem to want to sleep with that smell in the air, either. "Something obviously died down there, and I don't want to find out what killed it."

Skyflight began to walk down towards the gorge, as though he were being pulled by some invisible force. The others had no choice but to follow him. Blaze's paws skidded on the ground as the slope turned into a sharper incline. They reached the top of the gorge, and meows of surprise came from them. Below there was a group of cats, much like those in a Clan.

_Who are they? _Blaze wondered.

"Maybe they'll let us spend a couple nights in their camp," suggested Neko. "I mean, we're not really threatening, and I'm sure they can spare some prey."

"There's only one way to find out," Skyflight meowed. He padded down the sloping hill that led into the bottom of the gorge. Blaze rushed to keep up with him, heart pounding in his chest as they walked down towards the cats. Skyflight's judgment seemed oddly clouded at that moment. It was never wise to just rush down into the camp of another Clan. They might think it's an attack, and tear them to shreds.

When they reached the bottom of the gorge, all activity seemed to stop. The foreign cats stared at them as they walked through the camp. There was no murmuring, no gossiping, just staring. Suddenly, a ginger tabby she-cat approached them, her eyes wild and round as saucers. She walked up to Skyflight with a look of sheer madness on her face.

"_Ash_," she meowed softly, like a mother would.

"N – no, my name is Skyflight," the gray medicine cat meowed. "I'm from another Clan, not too far away from here. We were wondering if we could possibly spend a couple of nights here."

The she-cat only turned her gaze to Blaze, who stared straight ahead in confusion. "Blaze!" she exclaimed lovingly.

Blaze was taken aback. "How do you know my name?" he asked. "Do I know you?"

"Where is Echo?" the she-cat asked suddenly. "Didn't she come with you?"

"Who?" Skyflight blinked.

Suddenly, the she-cat hissed, glaring at the outsiders. "I don't know them. Who are they? Why have you brought them here?" she demanded.

"Please, if I may explain," Skyflight started. "I'm from a Clan called ThunderClan. These cats are not from ThunderClan, they're rogues who are staying with us. I was ordered to take them away from the camp until they could stop making trouble."

Murmurs came from the cats around. Blaze could hardly make out their words, but it sounded like they were saying things about 'traitor kin'. The ginger she-cat's eyes glinted. "Alright, you may stay. Do you know who we are?" she asked.

"Not really, no," Blaze meowed.

"We are the Clan of the Stones – or StoneClan," she informed them. "I am Dawnseeker, the healer of the Clan."

"Is that the equivalent of a medicine cat?" asked Skyflight. "That is – a cat who shares dreams with ancestors and heals the sick. That's what I am; a medicine cat."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Dawnseeker meowed. "Our leader is Icestone, and he is also my mate. He's the most marvelous cat you could ever meet. He's handsome, smart, and cunning..."

"Oh. Where I come from, medicine cats can't have mates," meowed Skyflight. "It's against the warrior code."

"Well, in our Clan, the leader and healer are usually mates," the ginger she-cat blinked. "In fact, all the leaders and healers before Icestone and I have been mates. Brokenstone and Heartseeker, Sandstone and Windseeker, Viperstone and Lionseeker... the list goes on and on."

Jett snorted. "Well, that's very interesting and all, but can I have a den to stay in?" she asked.

Dawnseeker looked her in the eye, a sort of knowing look on her face. "Of course you may, Jettheart," she murmured.

_How did she know Jett's name? _Blaze wondered. _And how did she know my name?_ Maybe it was just something that came along with being a 'healer' in StoneClan.

"It's just Jett," the black she-cat corrected. Her eyes were narrowed, and he assumed she had the same questions he did.

"Jett it is then," Dawnseeker meowed. "You must forgive me for my confusion. I've not been very right in the head, recently. I think I'm coming down with something. Silly me, a healer and I can't even heal my own ailment." Her eyes lit up with amusement at her own joke.

Skyflight dipped his head. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here with you," he meowed gratefully. "It would have been a long, cold night had you not done this for us."

"It was no trouble," the ginger she-cat purred. "Come now, I have to introduce you to Icestone. He's going to be so pleased!"

As they padded towards the leader's den, millions of questions were running through Blaze's mind. For the most part, as strange as they were, these cats seemed non-hostile. They weren't keen on driving them away from the territory, or even berating them for trespassing. It seemed as though they were being welcomed with open dens. Blaze had never known a Clan to be so open. Though, all the way out here, they probably had no rivals.

They walked through some dangling vines and into a den where a lean, muscular silver tabby was laying down on a bed of moss. Dawnseeker padded over and whispered something in his ear. The tabby's eyes shot open. There was a shine of delight in the crystal blue of his gaze. He got to his paws in a hurry and greeted the cats.

"Welcome to StoneClan," he meowed. "It's been a long time since we've had any visitors from the outside lands. We're a rather solitary group, I suppose you could say."

"I see that," Todd meowed. "You're territory lengths away from anything."

Icestone dipped his head. "My name is Icestone, and I am the leader of the StoneClan. We've lived in this gorge for many, many seasons. We're very delighted to have you come here to visit us."

Skyflight purred. "Well, we're just thankful you're giving us a place to stay. We thought for sure you were going to run us out of your territory."

"It really isn't any trouble for us," Dawnseeker meowed. "We have plenty of room, and plenty of food to share with you. While you here, you can even tell us about the Clan you come from – Thunder, wasn't it? We'd like to know about how you live."

"I can tell you all about it," mewed Skyflight. "Maybe you could share a little bit about your Clan with me, too. Lightningstar – that's the leader of ThunderClan – I'm sure she'd love to hear about you."

The ginger she-cat nodded. "I will tell you as much as I can about the StoneClan," she agreed. "This sharing between our Clans could be the start of an alliance."

Skyflight's eyes lit up. An alliance would be a good thing for ThunderClan, Blaze knew. If they ever wanted to win back their territory, they'd need other cats on their side. The StoneClan cats were well-fed, muscular, and abundant. They also seemed very willing to help. Blaze watched as Icestone touched noses with Skyflight. This definitely was the beginning of good things to come.

"I still need that den," Jett complained. "My paws are sore and numb from standing here." Her tail was lashing back and forth with impatience.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about that for a moment," Dawnseeker meowed apologetically. "Here, Jett, I'll show you over to the mother's den."

"Mother's den? What's that?" the black she-cat asked.

"Well, you are going to have kits, aren't you? I'm a healer, I can tell. The mother's den is where all the mothers of the Clan stay," she answered. Dawnseeker flicked her tail in the direction of the den she was talking about. Inside, Blaze could see the glow of several pairs of eyes in the darkness. Those cats didn't seem at all inclined to come out.

Jett blinked. "Yeah, I'm going to have kits, but not for another moon or so."

"I'm sure they have advice for you about raising kits," meowed Dawnseeker. "That is their job, after all."

"You mean they aren't just warriors who have taken time off to have litters?" asked Skyflight. "Because in our Clan, that's usually how it is. Of course, there have been some cats who have considered being a queen a full-time job, but still..."

"No, the mothers are not fighters or hunters, they are just mothers. They give birth to kits, they raise them, and then they repeat the cycle until they grow too old," Icestone informed them. "Now, let's get the rest of you settled. There's plenty of caves around here, I'll have some of the learners go and set up nests."

Skyflight's tail flicked in appreciation. "You're very kind to do this for us," he meowed. "Again, I thank you for letting us stay."

Icestone nodded and led them in the direction of one of the caves that was carved into the side of the gorge. Blaze looked around the camp as he walked, examining the curious cats who were also examining him. These cats were nice alright, but perhaps they were a little too welcoming. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but there seemed to be something a little off about them. Icestone stopped at the cave, peering inside briefly.

"Well, what do you know," he meowed. "There's already some nests inside here. Go ahead and settle down. It's getting late, and you travelers need your sleep. In the mornings, I'll send some cats to wake you and give you prey. Have a good sleep, kin."

Blaze watched as the silver tabby padded back down the hill and into the gorge. The group began to settle down, picking nests and curling up. Dusk began to fall on the gorge, turning it brilliant shades of color. That's when he saw the most horrific sight of his life. Instead of the cats who were there moments before, all he could see was bones covered in rotting flesh. Bile rose in his throat, and he closed his eyes, hoping that what he'd just seen was merely an illusion. He opened his eyes seconds later, and everything was back to normal.

_I was just seeing things, _he assured himself. _There's no need to worry, just go to sleep..._


	5. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Skyflight's eyes snapped open suddenly. The stone cave in which he slept had turned into a vacant field, washed with sepia colors and contrasting deep blues. His fur bristled, and his hackles raised as he crouched defensively. They were coming for him. He knew it, and he was ready. In the distance, shining lights blinked on and off, signaling through the coming fog. He bared his teeth, pale green eyes darting back and forth. In the distance, a black cat stood against a washed-out light source. There was no movement, just the glint of amber eyes.

The white fog rolled around his paws, and an eerie dream-like mist hung in the air. The figure in the distance began to walk towards him, gait irregular and eyes still glowing. The mysterious cat looked at Skyflight as though he were cornered prey. Behind the cat, the washed-out light source revealed itself to be the moon, rising at an unnatural rate. Slowly, it was being eclipsed by a circle of darkness. It was as though it were telling him that time was running out.

"Are you afraid?" the cat asked. It's voice echoed eerily all around, bouncing off the corners of whatever unholy dimension they were meeting in.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Skyflight spat. "I'll never be afraid of you."

There was a meow of laughter. "I am your life-giver, and I hold control over you. If I wanted you to drop dead, it would happen. You say you aren't afraid of me, but I see it in your eyes. You're as scared as a little lost kit."

Skyflight held his ground as the she-cat grew closer and closer to him. "Who are you?" he asked.

Without warning, the moon that lit the area darkened fully, leaving them face to face in a world without light. "I am Newmoon," she answered. "The power of darkness and shadows belongs to me. I am your nightmares, and I am your wildest dreams."

"And who am I?" he asked. The gray medicine cat looked at her through soft green eyes. Would questions that had weighted on his mind since he'd first entered the starless forest finally be answered?

In a swirl of black fog, the she-cat vanished, only to appear by his side moments later. "You are mine," she whispered, running her tail over his shoulder. "You are one of the six cats with the Inner Gift. You are a crucial part to revenge on the cats who mercilessly slaughtered you and your kin."

"I can't betray my Clan," Skyflight growled. "I won't help you harm them. My path is not to hurt, but to help heal cats. No hidden past is greater than destiny."

Newmoon's eyes flashed furiously, and her fur bristled. "Then you will die!" she spat.

"So be it," he replied simply.

She vanished into the dark mists with a yowl of fury. Skyflight turned around and walked away, eyes closed and heart pounding in his chest. Had he just sentenced himself to death?

--

Grunting noises came from the new nursery in the ThunderClan camp. Echoheart strained, her claws scratching the ground as her body spasmed. It wasn't the first time she'd given birth, but she'd forgotten the stress and pain involved. Her amber eyes clouded with worry as she looked around to see no one but a timid-looking Fleck huddled in the corner. Skyflight was out of camp with those rogues. He should have stayed, with her being so close to having her kits. There were no herbs to ease her pain, no medicine cats to help lick the kits, no one to talk her through. Not even Barleywhisker, her own mate, was there to help her.

She flexed again, her sides rippling as a kit pushed its way out. Immediately she started licking, cleaning the birth mess from the newborn. She shut her eyes as another plopped out, not but a few moments later. She licked it, and watched as they both crawled to her side to suckle. Several hours later, she had a full litter of four kits suckling by her side. They squeaked and climbed over each other to get to her milk. She gazed at them softly. There was a look of motherly love in her amber eyes. Their fur was almost dry now, so she could see their pelt colors.

Echoheart nosed the kit closest to her, a delicate brown she-kit with a white stomach and little black stripes. "I will call you Butterflykit," she whispered softly. "You're so dainty and small, aren't you? But I'm sure you'll grow into a fine warrior one day."

The next kit to be named was a tom, the firstborn of the litter. He was a brown tabby without any white markings on him, or at least none had appeared quite yet. "I will call _you _Sparrowkit," Echoheart murmured. "Yes, that suits you very well..."

"And you," she mewed, looking down at the third kit. It was another tom, light brown with twisting and swirling black stripes. "You will be called Marshkit." She gave the kit a lick on the top of the head and turned her attention to the last kit, the smallest one of all.

The final kit was also a tom, white with patches of tabby on his fur. "You will be Gorsekit," she meowed. "I think you will also be a very fine warrior. You may be small, but that will make you very fast."

Echoheart smiled at them, eyes sparkling with delight. "And not a single stillborn kit. Take that, Jett," she snorted. "Just wait until you get back here. I'll show you my healthy kits, and I will laugh in your face."

The tabby she-cat curled her tail around her kits and snuggled closer to them to keep them warm. She silently promised herself that she'd never let anything happen to her kits. She wasn't about to prove Jett right on anything.

"Echoheart, are you alright?" came a meow from outside the nursery.

"I'm fine, I've had my kits!" she announced proudly.

Barleywhisker nosed his way into the nursery and settled down by his mate. Echoheart could see the warmness in his eyes, but doubted it was genuine.

"What are their names?" he asked.

"Butterflykit, Marshkit, Gorsekit, and Sparrowkit," Echoheart replied, nosing each one in turn. "There were no complications at all, thank goodness. It was mouse-brained of Lightningstar to send Skyflight away from the camp."

"That was a little mouse-brained of her, especially with all the warriors getting injured recently," he commented. "She's been a little mad recently. I think she's just under a lot of pressure."

Echoheart was hurt that her mate didn't comment any further on the kits, but didn't say anything. _Aren't you happy about this? I hate you so much, Barleywhisker. You're so terrible, not at all like Redstripe would have been... _At the thought of her dead love, her ears flattened and her whiskers drooped. She would give anything to have him with her right now. Images of the handsome red tabby tom flashed in her mind, taunting her with memories of a cat she'd probably never see again.

_And to think, I went to the trouble of killing Petalpaw for nothing..._

--

Blaze opened his eyes and looked around. He could hear the sound of breathing, and felt Jett's side moving up and down next to him. All of the other cats were asleep – except for one. Skyflight was perched at the entrance of the cave, looking down at the gorge below. There was something a little off about the gray cat. He didn't move at all, he just sat there, staring downwards. Slowly Blaze approached him, making occasional scuffles as not to startle him.

"Is something wrong, Skyflight?" he asked. There was no reply from the medicine cat. Blaze wondered if he had heard or not, so he repeated himself, this time a little louder. "I said, is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Blaze," Skyflight replied quietly. "I'm just sitting here. Sitting here, and thinking."

Blaze blinked. "What are you thinking about?" he meowed curiously. He wished his older brother would just tell him if something was wrong.

"About the future, and about the past," the medicine cat replied. "I now know things I wish I never knew. I don't know quite what to do with myself. I do know one thing, though, I will fight."

Skyflight's cryptic words baffled Blaze entirely. Perhaps it was because he just woke up, and not even he knew what he was talking about. "I don't think I understand," he meowed. "Maybe it's because you're a medicine cat, and I am a rogue..."

"Where do you come from?" Skyflight asked suddenly, turning his head to look at Blaze. "How did you know the job of a medicine cat? You look so familiar, and yet I can only compare you to my dreams."

Blaze looked down at his paws. Was it time to tell his brother who he was? There was little point in not doing so. Maybe if he admitted to being that chubby, clumsy apprentice from so long ago, Skyflight would let go of the fantastical ideas that he was a prophesied savior. "I'm Nettlepaw, Skyflight," he whispered softly. "I'm your brother."

Skyflight's eyes widened. "Nettlepaw?" he gasped. "What are you doing here? Why are you – how are you even alive? I – I haven't seen you in so long!" He leaped up and brushed his cheek against Blaze's shoulder, purring happily.

"I was found by this group of cats that I have with me," Blaze answered. "They're my new 'Clan', I suppose you could say. Without them, I would have died alone out there. They saved my life."

Suddenly, Skyflight stepped backwards, his tail lashing. "Wait a moment, what about the prophecy? What about the cat in my dreams? You – are you – you have to be – but you're... Nettlepaw..."

Blaze shook his head. "I've tried to tell you, I'm not the savior of ThunderClan," he sighed. "I'm just an ordinary cat. I can't do anything special! Seasons of training have improved my fighting and hunting skills, but I'm no better at either skill than your average warrior."

He heard a dismayed mew come from his brother. "I thought for sure... I thought for sure that you – you Blaze – would save the Clan," he meowed. "I don't know if I'm ready to give up that thought quite yet. Any cat can be a hero if they just give themselves the chance."

Blaze's bright green eyes flickered with sympathy. Skyflight was so absorbed in the prophecy that he wouldn't let it go even if he found out that his prospective savior was his exiled brother. Suddenly, he remembered what Lightningstar had said to him a long time ago. "Skyflight, you can't tell Lightningstar that I'm Nettlepaw," he rumbled. "She said she'd kill me if I set paw on ThunderClan territory ever again."

"You didn't really kill them, did you?" Skyflight asked. "I don't know who did, but I know it couldn't have been you. You were never like that. No one in the Clan would do something as horrible as kill those cats. Please, Blaze, tell me you didn't do it..."

"I didn't, Skyflight!" Blaze exclaimed. "I didn't, but no one will ever believe that until the real murderer is revealed – and I don't think the real murderer is alive to confess."

Skyflight tilted his head. "Who do you suspect?"

"Redpaw – er – Redstripe," he answered. "I know it was him, I'm almost sure of it! I saw him covered in blood, I saw him walking away from Torntail's body! If it wasn't him, who could it be?"

"But what motive would Redstripe have had to kill _anyone_?" Skyflight meowed. "Cats don't just murder other cats for the sake of killing them!"

"He was probably madder than a fox in a fit," spat Blaze. "But we'll never know now, will we? He's dead, and you can't exactly go to the Moonpool to see if you can talk to him."

"I know I can't," sighed Skyflight. "But if he had murdered those cats – well, I'm sure I wouldn't see him in StarClan."

"He never came to speak with you in all the seasons you were a medicine cat?" Blaze meowed.

Skyflight's tail twitched with irritation. "Not once! I don't see why he didn't. We were good friends – but I guess he never really had any reason to."

"That is, if he was in StarClan to begin with."

"Yes," nodded Skyflight. "But we don't know who it was, and it would be disrespectful to blame Redstripe for it. He was a decent cat, and it's best we let the Clan remember him that way. I don't want to go to Lightningstar with any accusations so long after the incidents occurred. It's best to just put the past behind us."

Blaze sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. However, I'll never be able to tell ThunderClan who I really am in that case."

"Maybe that's for the best," Skyflight meowed. "They would probably never welcome you back with sheathed claws. No matter what you or I tell them, there will always be a hint of doubt and underlying hate."

The ginger tabby tom sighed once again. Though he didn't exactly want to return to ThunderClan, he still wished that the would believe he was innocent. How could they have taken Sunpaw's word over his? He hated Sunpaw – or Sunleaf as she was now called. He hadn't seen much of her while in the ThunderClan camp, but when he had seen her, she'd sneered and stared in contempt. Her attitude and behavior towards other cats left a lot to be desired. She even treated her own offspring maliciously! She had Robinpaw cowering at her paws.

"Why did they believe such a stupid, mouse-brained she-cat over me?" he wondered aloud.

"Hm? Who?" asked Skyflight.

"Sunpaw, Sunleaf – whatever! She was the one who got me exiled from the Clan. If I could get my paws on her, I would rip her throat out!" Blaze hissed.

Skyflight rolled his eyes. "Then you'd be in even more trouble. Blaze, don't waste your energy on someone like her. She's not worth murdering. Almost every cat in the Clan except for Lightningstar hates her, and she knows it." The gray cat looked almost sympathetic mentioning this. "She hardly ever speaks to anyone – she doesn't share tongues – except with Lightningstar."

"Do you think she's trying to get the position of deputy?" Blaze asked.

"Possibly," Skyflight shrugged. "Of course, our old deputy recently died, and Lightningstar replaced him with Duskpool, so it doesn't look that good for Sunleaf – unless something happens to Duskpool."

Blaze narrowed his eyes. "Well, let's hope that Duskpool lasts longer than she does."

"I don't know, he's pretty old..."

"Hey, you know what? I feel like an apprentice again," Blaze meowed suddenly. "Talking to you, and you and I knowing each other – it makes me feel happy. I've really missed you a lot, Skyflight. I hated all the other cats in the Clan, but not you. You were always nice to me, even when Redstripe wasn't. Remember when you used to beat him at fights? He'd be so mad, but he'd always try to hide it."

Skyflight let out a meow of laughter. "You're right," he sighed happily. "You could see it in his eyes every time. He never did like to be outdone by anyone."

"You would have made such a great warrior," Blaze murmured.

Skyflight looked outside the cave for a brief moment before turning back to Blaze. "I suppose I could have been, but I believe that my true calling is to be a medicine cat," he responded.

"That may be so, but you were always so strong. I never imagined that you of all cats would be a medicine cat. It seemed like such a spur of the moment decision for you! What ever made you decide to go from warrior to medicine cat like that?" Blaze inquired. He watched his brother intently, waiting for him to answer.

"I was a coward," Skyflight admitted solemnly. "My mentor died, and it scared me into taking a less risky position in the Clan. I didn't want to get wounded in battle, and end up dead – just out of the blue – later on. But now I see there's just as much of a risk to being a medicine cat as there is to being a warrior."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Blaze. "I mean, medicine cat's don't really ever fight or anything."

"That's not true," Skyflight meowed. "We fight illness."

"But that isn't a physical battle," Blaze pointed out.

Skyflight shook his head. "You're wrong there, Blaze," he mewed. "When treating a cat for illness, we're at risk of getting sick as well. You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize that being a medicine cat is possibly the hardest job in the Clan. There's so many who depend on a medicine cat, you know."

Blaze nodded. His brother was right about it being very hard to be a medicine cat. In a way, Skyflight had chosen the harder path in life, rather than sparing himself worry as he originally intended to do. "I understand," he meowed. "You're the finest medicine cat I know, Skyflight. Warrior or medicine cat, you'll always be my older brother, and I'll always look up to you."

_Even though you're kind of smaller than I am..._

"Thanks, Blaze," murmured Skyflight. "You don't know how much good this conversation has done me. Just moments ago, I didn't know if I was going to make I through the day – but thanks to you, I know that I can do it."

"Glad to help," Blaze meowed. "Now, let's wake the others up. Everyone down in the gorge is starting to awaken, and I don't want them to think we're lazy or anything."

Skyflight's pale green eyes glittered with warmth as he padded over to where the rogues were nested. "Let's get to it, brother."

* * *

**A/N: **_Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than others. I was pushing myself to just get it out and posted. Thank you to all the reviewers for your comments on the story!_


	6. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It had been fairly peaceful in the StoneClan camp that day. Skyflight had put away his worried thoughts in favor of spending anxiety-free time with his brother. Ever since he'd found out that Blaze was Nettlepaw, he'd felt quite a lot of relief. Now he wouldn't have to worry about him being a murderer, or being dead. His confrontation with Newmoon was the last thing he wanted to think about. He didn't want his pure thoughts tainted by worry again.

Dawnseeker, the healer of the Clan, had been paying special attention to he and Blaze. Every time they were around her, she would mother them. She gave them the best of the prey, and gazed at them lovingly. At the moment, she was sharing tongues with Blaze. She groomed his pelt gently as she spoke with him about all sorts of things.

These cats were certainly strange. Skyflight had never even dreamed of a Clan that was so peaceful and non-hostile towards visitors. Granted, many of the Clan members seemed cautious and shy around them, but none of them seemed to want to attack or anything.

Jett had made friends with a few of the mothers in the Clan. She'd been in a much better mood, ever since she woke up. She seemed to get along well with all the StoneClan cats. They weren't as reserved around her as they were around some of the other rogues.

Skyflight wondered why his brother had chosen her for a mate. Jett wasn't the nicest cat in the world, and she had no respect for Clan traditions and beliefs. This made it tough to speak with her, as she'd take every opportunity she could to challenge Skyflight's belief in StarClan. Did she ever challenge Blaze's belief in StarClan?

"Hello, ThunderClan healer," came a meow.

Skyflight turned his head to see the StoneClan leader, Icestone, standing behind him, looking rather pleased.

The medicine cat dipped his head with respect. "Hello, Icestone."

Icestone purred, "I don't know if you've noticed, but my mate has become very fond of both you and your brother, Blaze. I wanted to know how long you'd be staying with us."

_How does he know Blaze is my brother? We never told anyone! _Skyflight's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he didn't say anything.

"Not a very long time, I'm sure. We'll be out of here in a few days," he replied.

"Oh, we were hoping you could stay longer," Icestone meowed, sounding deeply disappointed. "Have you thought about joining our Clan?"

Skyflight blinked. "I have a perfectly good Clan."

"Ah, but isn't your Clan in the midst of some sort of a crisis? We're not in any crisis. You'd have nothing to worry about here. No starvation, no border fights, no death..." The leader trailed off. "Besides, your little outsider friends are thinking of staying."

"What?" Skyflight blinked. Was this Clan so perfect that even the rogues were thinking of staying there? That seemed almost impossible. No Clan could be like this, with plenty of prey, and no sickness, and no enemies. It seemed utterly unreal.

"I said, they're thinking of staying," Icestone repeated. "Are you feeling alright? Maybe you should go see Dawnseeker, you look a little sickly."

"Uh, I don't really feel that bad," he replied. "Besides, I'm a medicine cat, I could take care of myself, really."

"Well, I suggest you go see her anyway," meowed the StoneClan leader.

Skyflight sighed, flicked his tail, and walked in the direction of Dawnseeker's den. She wasn't with Blaze anymore, apparently. The ginger she-cat was laying on the ground, her paws tucked under her chest. She looked very content and pleased, and Skyflight was beginning to think twice about disturbing her.

Of course, Dawnseeker spotted him before he could turn around and leave. "Ash – Skyflight, come here, my darling!"

Skyflight tilted his head awkwardly. _Darling? Oh no, is she in love with me? _Healers were allowed to have mates, but he know it was against the warrior code for a medicine cat to have one.

"Er – coming!" he meowed, leaping towards her.

Dawnseeker purred. "Are you feeling alright, Skyflight?" she asked nicely.

"Just fine, actually," Skyflight replied. "I'm just not used to being away from ThunderClan for so long. I wish Lightningstar hadn't lost her temper. I mean, what if one of the cats at camp needs my help? My apprentice knows nothing!"

"It's very foolish for a leader to send their healer away," nodded Dawnseeker. "Your leader does not sound like she knows what she's doing. Icestone would never do something so stupid."

Inwardly, Skyflight was groaning. It seemed as though Dawnseeker was also trying to get him to give up ThunderClan, and join StoneClan. Her approach was far more subtle than that of her mate, but it was still obvious to him what she was trying to do. Why were these cats so eager for new recruits? It seemed as though they had enough members of their Clan already.

"Dawnseeker," Skyflight began, "I know what you're doing. Why is it so important for me to join StoneClan, anyway?"

The ginger she-cat looked around with a hint of unease. She didn't reply to his question, and instead she darted into the farthest corner of her den. Skyflight stood for a few minutes, at a loss of what to do, and finally decided just to turn around. "I'm going to go for a walk," he meowed.

"Don't stray _too_ far," Dawnseeker warned, her voice sounding far more gruff and raspy than it had last she'd spoken.

Skyflight rolled his shoulders back and walked towards the camp exit. _Tomorrow, I'm leaving this place for sure. These cats are far too strange. I can't help but feel there's something up with them._

"Ah, but you can't just up and leave," came a meow.

The gray medicine cat froze. He was certain he'd thought his thoughts inside of his mind, and not spoken them aloud. Stiffly, he turned his head to see who it was. Standing on the high cliff ledge above was a smoky-gray tom cat. This was the first time any StoneClan cat other than Dawnseeker and Icestone had spoken to him.

Skyflight dug his claws into the ground. "Who are you?"

"Shadowbite," meowed the dark gray tom. "So, you're Ash? Pathetic. You're too small and weak-looking to be the son of Dawnseeker and Icestone."

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else," Skyflight mewed, in a matter of fact voice. _In fact, they've all probably mistaken me for someone else. _"My name is Skyflight, and I'm the kit of Stoneclaw and Thrushfeather."

Shadowbite seemed particularly amused at this. His tail swished back and forth as he stared at Skyflight with a superior look on his face. "I'm sure you are," he grinned. "You know what? I'm going to challenge you."

"Challenge me?" Skyflight looked utterly bewildered.

"If I can defeat _you _in combat, my Clan will surely think I'm the best fighter they've got," he purred. "So, _Skyflight_, show me what you've got."

Skyflight barely had time to breathe before the dark gray cat pounced on him, clawing at his sides and biting his ears. He could feel the wind being knocked out of him, and he struggled to escape. The medicine cat bit at whatever he could, but to no avail. _This is what I get for not going through warrior training!_

He managed to pull away from the stronger cat, and ran as fast as he could away from the camp and away from Shadowbite. Much to his dismay, Shadowbite followed him, running faster than Skyflight had ever seen any cat go – even a WindClan cat!

Skyflight sped up his pace, his body aching as he ran into the forest at the top of the hill. Suddenly, he heard a horrific yowl. He turned around to see that Shadowbite was no longer following him. Cautiously, he began to walk back towards the StoneClan camp. What had made Shadowbite decide to stop pursuing him?

He looked up at the top of the hill and nearly choked. Standing against the noontime sun was the figure of a cat in running position – though this cat was not alive. It was Shadowbite alright, but instead of fur and flesh, he was made entirely out of _stone_.

"Great StarClan!" gasped Skyflight. He could hardly believe his own eyes. Now he knew for sure – there was something wrong with StoneClan, and it went beyond them being merely weird and different. There was some sort of dark power at work here...

_Newmoon!_

--

The old black she-cat sat staring down into a pool of stars and colors. Her amber eyes burned with a sadistic amusement as she watched Shadowbite run to his death. He'd crossed the border, something she'd warned them not to do. It was that cat's pride and foolishness that had cost him his immortal life. She didn't care, it was his own fault for not obeying her orders. All cats who disobeyed her would eventually die, one way or another.

Behind her, in the fog, another figure appeared, stalking towards her quietly. Newmoon didn't even have to turn around to identify who it was. "Hollyleaf," she meowed raspingly. "Did you do as I asked?"

"Yes, I did," Hollyleaf replied. Her green eyes flashed evilly. "You know that I did."

Newmoon purred with pleasure. "Of course I do," she rasped. "You have brought both Ash and Blaze back to their home Clan."

"Is there anything else you would like me to do?" asked the ThunderClan she-cat.

There was a pause; neither of them said a word.

Newmoon's crooked fangs formed a grin on her face. "Bring the final of the three to StoneClan – bring Echo."

"How do I do this?" asked Hollyleaf.

"I'm sure you'll think of something good, Hollyleaf, you've never failed me before," Newmoon growled. "You'd better not fail me this time, either. Remember, you owe me your life. Without me, you'd still be wandering those tunnels – lost forever."

Hollyleaf snarled quietly. "I do appreciate what you did for me," she meowed. She recalled the incident; running into the tunnels, having rocks and debris crush her bones and bury her. Newmoon had resurrected her, though it was many seasons after the accident had occurred. She'd walked into the camp, and everyone treated her as though she'd been there the entire time – it was like she'd never left the Clan.

"Go now," Newmoon commanded. She turned her head to watch Hollyleaf vanish into the mists, and then went back to staring into the celestial pool.

--

Echoheart watched her kits sleeping. It was noon, yet she felt as though she was going to pass out from lack of energy. She hadn't been eating much, and it hadn't been because she wasn't hungry – it was more the fact that she'd been ignored. Barleywhisker hadn't brought her anything, and neither had anyone else. She was far too tired to go out and get her own prey. At this point in time, she wondered if there was anyone in the world who even remembered she existed.

Outside, she could see no cats, and Fleck was asleep in the corner of the nursery with her kits curled up by her side. Strangely enough, it seemed to be growing darker outside, despite the fact that it was far too early for sundown. Echoheart stood up slowly, trying not to disturb the little bundles of fur that were snoozing soundly on the moss bed. When she walked outside, she was surprised to see that not only were no cats in the camp, but the entire world seemed to be tilting and wavering in a distorted way.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, but she only felt dizzy. Blackness faded on and off in front of her vision. She closed her eyes tightly, and opened them, hoping to find everything had righted itself, but it hadn't. Instead, standing in the middle of the clearing was a handsome black tom cat, with a red ribbon tied around it's neck, and a ring of bells on it's tail.

"Trespasser," Echoheart growled inaudibly. Her throat was dry and sore, making it nearly impossible for her to say anything loudly enough for that cat to hear it.

The black cat approached her, amber eyes glowing softly. "Echoheart, come and follow me," he whispered in an entrancing voice.

Echoheart took one step forward, suddenly finding she had the energy to move. The black cat flicked his tail, causing the bells to jingle merrily. "Are you – a kittypet?" coughed Echoheart. "I can't leave my kits, stupid kittypet."

"They'll be fine," meowed the black cat, looking into the nursery. Echoheart followed his gaze and her eyes widened – none of her kits were there anymore!

"What – what did you do to them, are they alright?!" she gasped.

"I told you, they'll be fine," the black cat repeated. "They'll be safe and sound, waiting for you at the place I'm taking you. Please come now, Echoheart."

There was something about the cat's voice that soothed and intrigued Echoheart. The more she heard it, the more convinced she was that she should follow this cat. She took a tentative step forward, and then another. Pretty soon, she was walking right along, following the sound of the cat's bells. Even during times where she lost sight of him, she could still hear those jingling bells.

They went further and further until they came to a hill, where down below a canyon opened up in the ground. Echoheart could smell carrion and crowfood, and she hissed in disgust. "What is that, anyway?" she asked.

"It's nothing," the black cat assured her. "Go on down, they're all waiting for you there."

With that, the black cat vanished in a concealing dark fog. Echoheart was left astonished and puzzled, but she began to walk towards the gorge. There was a strange feeling in the air, though it was noticeably lighter here than it was back in the dark forest.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt herself being tackled. She hissed and scratched her ambusher on the muzzle, and kicked them away with her hindlegs.

The cat who had attacked her let out a slight choking noise as the dust settled. Echoheart could finally see who it was... Skyflight!

"Oh, Skyflight, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to strike you, I thought you were some attacker.... Why _did _you tackle me, anyway?" she meowed.

Skyflight coughed and pressed his paw against his sore and bleeding muzzle. "Echoheart! What are you doing here, you're supposed to be in camp – you're heavy with... kits?" He noticed that she didn't look as round in the belly as she had when he'd last seen her.

"Actually I had my kits, it's a shame _you _weren't _around _to _see _that," she spat.

"Echoheart, I'm sorry! It's not my fault Lightningstar sent me – well, it's sort of my fault – I would have been there if I could! Were there any complications? You seem alright to me." Skyflight looked her up and down, eyes wide.

Echoheart sniffed. "No, nothing went wrong, thank StarClan. However, if something had gone wrong, you wouldn't have been there to fix it, and I probably would have died." She could see that he looked terribly guilty, and felt just a bit sorry for him.

"What are you doing out of camp, and so far away from your kits? They're going to die without you there, Echoheart! Are you crazy?" Skyflight gasped suddenly.

Echoheart knew that it was going to be tough explaining that she'd followed a mysterious kittypet out of the ThunderClan camp, and that her kits were actually apparently inside the gorge, as opposed to be back in the camp. "Uhm," she began. Without warning, she bolted off towards the gorge, leaving Skyflight behind at the top of the hill.

"Wait, Echoheart! Don't go down there! They're evil!" She heard him yowling, but paid no attention to it. She burst into the gorge to see many cats gathered down there. They began to crowd around her, greeting her and purring happily.

A ginger she-cat stood out the most, bounding up to her and touching noses with her. "Echo, welcome back! We're all so happy to see you..."


	7. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Echoheart had ignored Skyflight's frantic cry and ran down the hill, leaving him standing up there, pale green eyes wide. They welcomed her into the camp, and led her away. Bile rose in Skyflight's throat. Strange and evil powers were at work in and around the camp. What if Echoheart was lost forever? What if everyone who had entered there from the outside was lost forever? It was time for them to leave, and quickly. But what was he to do? If he went back there, something awful might happen.

He took a couple paw-steps towards the hill, tentative and aware in his steps. He wanted to say a prayer to StarClan, but he knew that they weren't there. One more step forward, and he found himself in a completely different place. He was back in the land he'd visited in his dreams... Newmoon's world.

"Ash, darling, don't be afraid!" came a soft voice.

Skyflight looked around and narrowed his eyes. He _wasn't _Ash. The voice sounded familiar, and motherly. He looked to his side to see Dawnseeker standing next to him, her eyes wide and crazed.

The medicine cat stood his ground. "What do you want?"

"Please stay with me, Ash, I'm your mother," she whispered comfortingly.

Skyflight bared his teeth. "No, you're not. My mother is Thrushfeather of ThunderClan. You're just a mad fox; you're nothing but crowfood to me." He felt his claws unsheathing, and he tensed.

Dawnseeker was clearly taken aback, and hurt. "Ash, my kit, how could you say things like that? You are not Thrushfeather's kit, whomever she may be, you're mine! Newmoon sent you away so that you could help destroy the traitor kin – and you did – and you were _amazing _at it. No one even suspected it was you."

In a whirl, Skyflight slashed his claws across Dawnseeker's face. She yowled and stepped back, black blood dripping down her cheek and into her mouth. "I did nothing. You're a liar. ThunderClan is my Clan, and I would never betray them," he hissed in her ear.

"But you did," insisted Dawnseeker, trying to ignore the fact that Skyflight had struck her. "You took out important traitors, you weakened their Clan... and you led them into our forests..."

With sudden realization, memories came flooding back to Skyflight. He remembered slashing and killing, murdering cats, even his own _mentor_. "N-no," he squeaked. "This isn't real! None of this is real!" Dread and confusion swirled in his thoughts.

"It is real, Ash. But what you did was not wrong. You were helping your true Clan, StoneClan." Dawnseeker drew closer to him, giving him a lick on the cheek.

He pulled away, horrified. "StoneClan is not my Clan, and you are not my mother! You're a liar, and an evil deceiver. You don't love me, you don't even care!"

"Ash, I do love you!" exclaimed Dawnseeker. "I've been waiting forever to see you! I know my own son; our sovereign told me that it was you! She would never lie to any of us."

Skyflight turned to walk away, only to have Dawnseeker follow him. "Tell me how to get out of here," he demanded. "If you don't, I'll make things painful for you."

There was a slight flicker of fear in Dawnseeker's pale green eyes. "Ash, you are the masquerade, and you have the power of the Inner Gift!" she meowed desperately. "Can't you see that you belong with us? You belong with the mystic cats of Stone! You are not one of the traitor kin."

"Stop it with your strange words," Skyflight spat. "Show me the way out of Newmoon's world, or I swear to _StarClan_, I will rip your throat out."

At that moment in time, Skyflight didn't know whether he was being serious with his threats or if he was bluffing. He was certainly upset enough to do something irrational. If what Dawnseeker said was true, he'd killed before. There was nothing stopping him from doing it again. However, he didn't know whether or not things in Newmoon's world worked the same as they did in reality. This was a world of dreams, and anything could happen.

Dawnseeker didn't answer him, so he continued to walk into the thick, rolling fog. The ground was gritty and wet beneath his paws, and slime oozed from the ground. He heard a meow from the StoneClan healer, but didn't answer. He ignored her as she followed him further into the darkness.

After wandering in silence for what seemed like hours, he finally turned to Dawnseeker and, with all the strength he could muster, leaped on her and pinned her to the ground. He placed his claws at her throat, and dug them in slightly as a threat. "Dawnseeker, you tell me how to get out of here _now_!" he demanded.

She gasped and wriggled beneath him. "Ash, no, you can't hurt me! I'm your own mother! You wouldn't kill me, would you? I don't _want_ to be turned to stone!"

Now he knew that he _could _kill her, if things came to that. "Well, Dawnseeker, if you don't want to die, you'll tell me how to get out of here, won't you?"

"But I am supposed to keep you here! Oh, either you will kill me, or Newmoon will kill me. Either way, I will not get out of this alive." Dawnseeker's desperate meows sounded dramatic and exaggerated, in a way. It almost sounded forced, as though she were stalling for time. But he remembered that this was generally the way StoneClan cats spoke. There was no help coming, but Dawnseeker seemed to want him to think there was by forcing her dramatic meows further.

Skyflight hissed under his breath. "Dawnseeker, I'm loosing my patience. You have only a few moments to tell me how to get out of here before I slice your throat."

"Ah! Alright, alright, Ash, I'll tell you the way out!" squeaked Dawnseeker. "Do you see those lights in the distance? They'll lead you into the Dangerzone, back in the real world... but Newmoon says it's an extremely long distance from the Dangerzone to our Clan camp... and there are strange things there!"

"Shut up, I don't care," Skyflight growled. "Strange things or not, I'm going. I've got to rescue my friends from Newmoon, and the rest of you." His hackles were raised, and the fur on his body stood on end. He stepped off of Newmoon, taking care to step on one of her paws as he did. She let out a mew of pain, and backed away, ears flattened.

Skyflight turned his attention to the familiar glowing lights in the distance. They had led him to Blaze before, and now they would lead him to safety. Even with the fog closing around him, he could still see them. He breathed in and began to travel in their direction.

"Ash, I love you!" Dawnseeker meowed loudly from behind him.

The ThunderClan medicine cat looked back at her. "I can't say the same to you, Dawnseeker."

She let out a cry of sadness and vanished in a thick black smoke. Skyflight felt slightly bad about what he'd done to her. It seemed as though she really did care for him, like a mother cared for her kit. But she was not his real mother, Thrushfeather was.

It didn't take long for Skyflight to reach the Dangerzone. He looked out from Newmoon's world and into the barren wasteland. There was a strange, tingling feeling in his fur. It was far too quiet out in this Dangerzone, and it seemed like there was nothing there. A few barren trees sat here and there, and boulders and rocks littered the ground, but there was no sign of any sort of life around.

He began to walk through the wasteland, looking left and right. He didn't know which way to go, but he assumed it was straight ahead. As he padded along, strange noises began to echo around him. At first, it just sounded like a murmur, but the murmur began to grow until it was a nearly deafening shriek. Panicked, Skyflight bolted ahead as fast as he could go.

Up from the ground in front of him a dark silhouette began to rise. It was a creature, unlike anything Skyflight had ever seen. It's mouth was wide open, revealing razor sharp teeth. It's talons were outstretched, and it was reaching for him; slashing at him. It had wings, long and bat-like. It's grotesque form made Skyflight freeze in terror. This couldn't be real; this had to be some sort of nightmare. His eyes were playing tricks on him... his mind wasn't working right... this wasn't real...

A sudden pain jolted him into reality. His chest was bleeding heavily, splattering his own blood onto the dry, cracked ground. He choked and jumped forward, feeling the pain beginning to increase. The wound the creature had made was deep, but not deep enough to quite kill him. He began to run blindly in the other direction, leaving a crimson trail of blood behind him. The creature began to pursue him, flying through the air and circling him.

Skyflight continued to run, but as he did he suddenly found that his paws had nothing beneath them. The ground was opening up, swallowing him inside it. He tumbled down through a tunnel, dirt and silt pouring into his mouth and eyes. When it all stopped, he found himself buried alive. He attempted to stand, but found he could not. He was weakened by the attempt, and collapsed on the ground. Everything began to darken... growing blacker... more distant... then nothing.

–

Echoheart felt extremely important. The StoneClan cats had treated her with respect and praise ever since she'd entered the camp. She'd never felt so at home before in her entire life. She soon learned that this was where Skyflight had taken the rogues, but he'd allegedly vanished into the forest and hadn't been seen since. The last she'd heard from him was a cry of warning. But what was he warning her about? These cats were nothing to worry about.

Their queens, or 'mothers', as they called them, were taking care of her kits in their nursery. Echoheart had also gotten the chance to sneer at Jett, and brag about her perfectly healthy litter. This was the life, that was for sure. Best of all, that attractive ginger tabby cat, Blaze, was there as well. She could only hope he'd get bored of Jett and decide to maybe have a litter with her instead. For now, though, she'd live the good life in StoneClan. She never wanted to return to the ThunderClan, they were all tragically insane.

Dawnseeker was the cat who'd been treating Echoheart best throughout the entire moon she'd spent in the StoneClan camp. She'd been almost like a mother to Echoheart, and she enjoyed every second of it. Dawnseeker would bring her the best prey out of the fresh-kill pile, and made her a nest with the softest materials she could find. Echoheart figured that this was what StarClan was like. Everyone seemed to get along so well, and the StoneClan cats weren't hostile to the outsiders at all.

Why couldn't the four Clans around the lake be like this? This canyon was like a utopia. No cats looked down on Echoheart, and everyone was so supportive and encouraging. Yes, this was the place she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

Now she was lounging beneath an overhanging boulder, grooming herself. Her fur had a new shine to it, and she was no longer thin and gangly. She was back to being her naturally attractive self. She'd been getting looks from some of the StoneClan fighters, especially a black-and-white tom called Thornbite. She'd also made friends with a mother named Violetheart; a shy white cat with tabby patches. She was the one who helped take care of Echoheart's kits the most.

Yes, Echoheart wouldn't trade this new life for anything. She was going to be a StoneClanner, now. Who cared about ThunderClan, anyway? They could make it with one less warrior.

–

Lightningstar stood in the middle of the Clan's camp, eyes wide and claws dug into the ground. All around her, bodies of her warriors and apprentices lay. Without a medicine cat, they hadn't had a chance. Skyflight had been gone for far too long. She never should have sent him away. Leopardpaw had no idea as to what to do. The apprentice had gone so far as to accidentally poison Shrewpaw with a deathberry. He'd mistaken it for something that would help. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know the difference.

"My Clan is being destroyed!" wailed Lightningstar. "Why has StarClan forsaken me like this? I don't know what I did to deserve this! I've always been a good warrior!"

Nearby, Redfrost and Nettlefang were huddled together. They were a couple of the warriors that were left. There were very few of them now. Echoheart had vanished under mysterious circumstances; Creeksplash was found, torn from throat to tail in the forest; Smokespots had fallen into sinking sand and couldn't escape; and Sunleaf was allegedly murdered by her own son, Robinpaw.

Robinpaw... What had made him do that? At that moment, he was huddled in makeshift prison den, with a bush of thorns pushed against the entrance. Brindlefur was standing guard outside the prison, making sure the now-insane apprentice couldn't escape. Lightningstar had never seen such a young cat just... snap like that... not since Nettlepaw, anyway. Would she have to exile Robinpaw, just as she'd exiled Nettlepaw?

Inside the prison den, Lightningstar could hear the apprentice meowing wildly about nonsensical things. He was spouting accusations regarding his dead mother, and clawing at the ground. How a puny apprentice like him had managed to kill a full-grown warrior like Sunleaf was unknown. It seemed nearly impossible. Robinpaw would have had to have had ten times the strength that he'd had in order to do that.

Another yowl came from Robinpaw, and black fog began to swirl out from inside the prison den. Brindlefur looked panicky, and stepped away from the den. After the fog cleared, there was no more Robinpaw. He'd vanished into thin air.

Lightningstar's eyes were wide and filled with horror. What was wrong with this place? The strangest things were happening to her Clan. The most _horrible_, _unimaginable _things. Cats were going insane, dying left and right... This never should have happened. She never should have left the ThunderClan territory. They should have all died defending it.

"Curse StarClan; and curse everyone! ThunderClan is no more!"

–

All around the Clans, cats were vanishing in black fog, or getting up and leaving without a single word to their clanmates. Even Flamestar, the leader of WindClan, walked away from his Clan and vanished into the forest beyond the old ThunderClan territory. No one knew where they were going, and for some reason, they really didn't want to follow. Everything seemed darker than it usually did. The lake was practically drained of water, the sky was cloudy and gray... and at night, the moon was somehow different. It seemed to be slowly disappearing, but not in it's usual crescent manner... it was fading.

Something wicked was coming, every cat knew it. Medicine cats were receiving strange omens from StarClan, ones that they couldn't interpretative... and warnings, many warnings. The general theme of these omens and warnings seemed to be the coming of a new moon... And all of this had the Clans in an utter panic.

Newmoon watched the cats from her world, staring through the water pools of reality and dreams. The cats of the masquerade were coming home, back to StoneClan so that they could all ally together... They'd done their jobs, working to weaken the Clans from the inside in certain ways. Now the StoneClan could destroy the traitor-kin without problems, and once again rule over all the territories, even far beyond the mountains and the hills.

–

Blaze felt a stirring deep inside of him. Images were swirling around in his mind, and his heart was pounding. He felt so much different than he had before. He felt connected to the other StoneClan cats, for some reason. More and more cats were beginning to wander into the canyon from the outside, and each of them he seemed to already know, even though he hadn't meant them yet. It was a singular mindset they all shared... _something _was binding them all together.

He recognized a few of the cats from other Clans, including Flamestar, the cat who had terrorized ThunderClan for many a moon. Despite the fact that he remembered the misdeeds of the cat, and the time that he had been captured by WindClan, he felt no hostility towards the leader. No cat felt hostile to one another, no matter where they came from, or who they held allegiance to.

StoneClan is what was keeping them from biting each others throats out. They all felt connected to the territory, and to the cats who lived there. Something had drawn them from their Clans and into this canyon. They were all there for some purpose, but none of them knew quite what it was.

Blaze took a look around at all the cats, and then he looked down at the ground. "We are one," he murmured. "But why?"


	8. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

The tunnel Skyflight had run into had collapsed, leaving him buried underneath the earth. His consciousness was ebbing in and out. There was no oxygen. He was closer to dying than he had ever been before. He could hear quiet whispers in the back of his mind; chanting voices that were telling comforting things. His body felt bruised and broken. Blood poured out of the slashed wounds on his chest, and mixing with the dirt.

His mouth was partially open as he gasped for air, only to inhale sand. His lungs were burning as he suffocated. He moved his front paw as much as he could, pawing feebly at the loose dirt in an effort to uncover himself. He choked out a meow of panic. He didn't have much time left. He may as well just give up and die.

But claws were striking through the soil that had filled the tunnel. They were long and jagged, reaching out for him. The beast was back, and it was going to take his life and his spirit. He looked up as the sky was finally revealed, and he felt jaws on his back. He was going to be eaten; ground up in the teeth of a horrible monster. He had never imagined this would be his fate.

Even as he felt himself being lifted up, he could still hear the comforting words being whispered to him. They sounded like the voices of warrior ancestors. It couldn't be that, though. StarClan didn't watch these lands. No one did. They were strange; a foreign place that not even the bravest cat would enter – provided they were sane.

It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't being killed. He felt a rough tongue on his cheek, no several. He opened his pale green eyes, gazing at blurred shapes around him. Who were they? What did they want from him? There was no life in the Dangerzone. These cats could not be real, or at least they couldn't be alive.

Their voices were raspy-sounding. He could hardly define their shapes, and he felt his eyesight failing. His mind was failing. He was fading into the blackness. It was simply too late for anyone to save him. His jaws parted as he gasped for a final breath.

_StarClan save me._

His final thought.

–

Pale green eyes shot open as Skyflight jolted awake. He took in a quick breath, only to end up coughing and gagging. His entire body was trembling. He was in horrible pain. His flesh burned and crawled, throbbing with heat. He wasn't dead, though. At this moment, he couldn't tell if this was a good or a bad thing.

He blinked grit out of his eyes, and looked around. There was a small leaf in front of him, with water in it. He leaned down at drank, letting the cool liquid sooth his throat and wash down the dirt that was in his throat. He didn't know where he was, but he knew that he wasn't alone.

There was a lanky she-cat sitting in front of him. Her eyes were odd, one green and one a shade of violet blue. Her fur was black and unkempt. Her tail had a kink at the end of it, and she did not look as though she'd been properly fed in ages. In fact, she rather looked like a corpse of sorts.

"Ah, the stranger is awake," she meowed, her words laced with a foreign accent. "How is the stranger doing? Can the stranger speak?"

Skyflight's throat was sore, despite all the good the water had done. He let out a wheeze as he attempted to speak. "What," he started, rasping, "what am I doing – where am – where am I?" His voice was so quiet, even he himself could hardly hear it.

"The stranger speaks too softly," the she-cat mewed to him. "Speak loudly now, stranger?"

He blinked, coughing to try and clear his throat. "Sorry – sorry, I can't – who are you?"

The she-cat's chest puffed out as she answered. "I am being called the Seven," she announced to him, seeming very proud of this. "What is your calling?"

"Sky... flight," he answered.

"Skyflight?" Seven mewed, drawing out the word with puzzlement. "What is this sky flight you are saying of?"

He narrowed his eyes, bewildered by the strange accent that the cat had. Skyflight moved slightly, trying to get a better look at her. Shifting this way hurt him, and he let out a cry of pain. He winced and looked at the she-cat, once again beginning to tremble.

"The Skyflight should not be doing movement," Seven told him. "The Skyflight is hurt very bad by the Bloodbeast."

"Why are you called the Seven?" asked Skyflight, weakly. "What does that even mean?"

The black she-cat looked around. It was clear she'd never been asked this question before. "It means my calling," she answered in a confused way. Her odd-eyes shone with bewilderment. "I am the Seven."

"I know that," Skyflight sighed. "Are you the only one here?"

"I am not One, I am Seven," she answered.

Now Skyflight was getting frustrated. "Who is One?"

"One is One," meowed Seven. "That is his calling. He is being our Sovereign One."

Skyflight was starting to catch on. These cats were named by numbers. As Seven was speaking, more cats gathered around them. They were all underfed and had strange colored eyes, and even stranger pelt markings and shades that Skyflight had never seen occur before.

"Seven, is stranger being alive and being well?" asked a thin gray cat who had white stripes.

"He is being just good, Eight," answered Seven. "He had breath, and he speaks words. He says his words in odd speaking. He is not being from this sector."

Skyflight had no idea of what the cats were saying half the time. They were all so strange-looking, and a few of them had extra toes or tails, and even dead extra limbs on their bodies. A few of them had faces that were warped and distorted, or only one eye.

And this was making Skyflight feel sick to his stomach. He wanted to vomit as more and more oddly mutated cats gathered around. His fur was tingling. He wondered what was wrong with this place. There was life in the Dangerzone, but all of the cats were strange freaks of nature. What had happened here?

"The Sovereign One comes!" meowed one of the cats in the crowd.

Immediately, all of the cats stretched forwards in a bowing way. Their tails were high in the air, as were their rumps. Through the ranks walked a white cat with black paws and splotched patches. He had long tufts on his ears, and the fur on his belly and tail was long. He had bright violet eyes, and his fangs were long and protruding from his mouth in an overbite. His claws were perpetually unsheathed. As he walked closer, Skyflight could see that one of his front legs was rotting. Flesh was hanging out and bone was exposed.

Skyflight felt bile rising in his throat.

"Will you not be bowing to the power of the Sovereign One?" the white and black tom cat asked, narrowing his eyes. "Are you being a fool or are you being a cat without respect?"

"In the defensive of the stranger, he is being painfully hurt right now and cannot be bowing to the mighty power of the Sovereign One," Seven mewed, advocating for Skyflight. "He is respecting the Sovereign One inside of his head, I am promising you this."

"I am understanding you," meowed One. "Stranger is being excused from the bowing."

Skyflight's eyes darted to the left, and then to the right. He was unsure of what was going on, or these cats customs, and their words were confusing him more and more by the moment.

"What do you call your Clan?" he asked, hoping that they knew what a Clan was.

One looked around, grinning momentarily before proudly announcing to Skyflight their group name. "We are the New Clear," he purred. "We are being happier and proud cats."

Skyflight blinked. "What are you _talking _about?"

"Oh, Sovereign One! Be telling him about the Great Power you are being having from the witch-cats," purred one of the mutated cats.

"Yes, yes, yes!" exclaimed One, his violet eyes growing wide. "I am having the great and mighty magic that the witch-cats have been given me. I am being Sovereign and I am having the powers to be summoning the Bloodbeast!"

One leaned down to Skyflight, getting close in his face. He breath smelled foul, like carrion. "Sovereign One is apologizing for you being bad hurting from Bloodbeast. The Evil Moon Cat told us we should be stopping you. We are not agreeing with her. You are not being a threat."

Right away, Skyflight knew that the 'Evil Moon Cat' was Newmoon. Why did she have to be everywhere? She was even in the Dangerzone. He just couldn't escape from her no matter how hard he tried. At least she hadn't succeeded in getting rid of him. As strange as these cats were, they still knew how to define a threat from an innocent cat caught in the wrong place.

He nodded with thanks at One, who stared at him through glossy blue eyes. "Where is this place?" asked Skyflight. "Why is everything here wrong?"

"It is being active with the Radios!" whispered an emaciated old she-cat. "I am hearing that they be lurking around and eating the souls of kittens who are being too close to them. They're being responsible for the awful destruction of this island."

Skyflight tilted his head in puzzlement. "What is a Radio?" he asked. "What do they look like?"

"No one is knowing," meowed One, his eyes darting back and forth. "I am hearing that they are horrible creatures, being like the Bloodbeast. They are having one red eye and they are looking like fire and flames."

There were murmurs of agreement from the other cats, who seemed to mutually believe that this was what the active Radios looked like. Skyflight shuddered with fear. He'd never heard of such a thing in his life. He'd come across many bizarre things in his time, but none that were so bizarre as these Radios he was hearing about.

"So, if no one's ever seen them," he started, ears and whiskers twitching with fright, "how do you know they're around?"

"We are hearing this news from other cats, and we sometimes are hearing talking from the strange tree-cats who are coming here every often and so," replied One.

"Tree-cats?" echoed Skyflight.

"They are being tall cats who are doing walking on only their hind paws," One explained to him. "We are calling them tree-cats, because they are looking like big moving trees."

"Twolegs," murmured Skyflight to himself.

They would have to visit this place often in order for these cats to pick up on any words they'd said. What would Twolegs want with the Dangerzone, though? It was a foreign place, far, far away from where the cats of the Clans lived. There was nothing for them here. No Thunderpath, or Twoleg nests to be found. Nothing that they would be interested in.

"What have you noticed the tree-cats doing?" he asked, careful not to confuse them by using the word Twoleg instead.

One looked around at the cats in his group before looking back at Skyflight. "They are being watching. They are coming and looking at us. They are not bothering us, though, and we are not bothering them."

"But we should be remembering the time they put the leaves on our ears!" one cat piped up.

Skyflight knew there were neither trees nor leaves around, so he was beginning to wonder how these cats knew what they were. Could it be that they weren't originally from the Dangerzone? Maybe they had even come from the Clans! If they had, though, they had clearly both lost their memories and their minds.

"Ah, yes, I am remembering the leaves," One meowed, flicking his left ear where a strange colored leaf seemed to be clipped in. "The tree-cats were being strangely one day, and they had been coming and taking the cats and been putting leaves on our ears. We are not knowing why. They are not doing anything for us."

This truly puzzled Skyflight. Of all the strange things Twolegs could have done, they had to fasten leaves to cats' ears. He would never understand them. He couldn't even think of a purpose for this, not at all. Maybe they had just been trying to decorate them or something. RiverClan cats used to do silly things like that. They would put feathers in their fur and decorate their nests with shells. Maybe Twolegs were like RiverClanners, and just like to snootily decorate everything with pretties.

"That's odd," he mewed. "So, do any of you know how to get off this island?"

There was a wheezing purr of amusement from an elder cat. "Swim," he said, his laughing purr turning into coughing soon enough.

Skyflight's whiskers drooped. The water at every Sun-Drown-Place was so deep and cold, not to mention rough. It was that way back on the island he'd come from, and he was sure it'd be the same here. He was no RiverClan cat, either. He didn't know how far it was, and he didn't think he could make it without drowning.

_Oh no, I don't want to be stuck here! I have to get back and foil Newmoon's plan! _There was a look of panic in his soft green eyes as he thought this.

"I don't think I can make it," murmured Skyflight.

"Silly stranger, it is being of course true that you cannot be making it," agreed One. He then paused with a tilt of his head. "Unless you are wanting to be floating."

"Floating?" Skyflight repeated.

One nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. There are being strange logs down by the shore. You can be climbing into one, and we could be pushing it and making it floating away into large water."

"Won't a log – I don't know – leak?" Skyflight wanted to make sure this was one-hundred percent safe before he decided to try it.

"No, no," meowed One, shaking his head. "There are being bottoms on this logs that are preventing any water being leaking in."

This comforted Skyflight. Maybe this was a plan that would actually work. He could only hope that the tide kept his course when he went out into the water. He didn't want to end up in the middle of such a large body of water with nothing to eat or drink.

"Please, take me to these logs," he meowed to them.

One looked towards two of his group's cats. "Be going with him, Four and Nine!"

The two oddly-shaped cats, who looked like their bones were warped in their legs, walked towards Skyflight and motioned with their tails for him to follow them. Skyflight struggled to push himself to his paws, still suffering from the pain of the beast's claws. He winced, his ears pinned against his head. He wasn't about to give up and lay back down, though. Pain or no pain, he needed to get back to the Clans to save them.

He followed them through the dry and cracked land of the Dangerzone. His limbs felt stiff, and he looked down at his chest where blood was dripping. He wished he had some herbs he could use to ease the pain, and some cobwebs to stop the bleeding. There wasn't really much foliage, or much of anything on the island, though.

After a long time of walking, despite his injuries, they finally reached the Sun-Drown-Place. Skyflight could see the tide coming in and out, and the roar of the water gave him chills. The last thing he wanted to do was die trying to get back to his Clan.

"There is logs being!" exclaimed Four, pointing with her tail in the direction of some odd-looking gray logs floating in the water. They were bobbing up and down, and for the most part they seemed safe.

Nine stared straight ahead, his eyes were crossed and looked somewhat glossy. "How are you planning on getting inside log?" he asked.

Skyflight narrowed his eyes. "That's a good question," he meowed. "I guess I'll just have to try my best to jump."

"But are you not being hurting?" Four meowed.

"I am, but I can't let that stop me," Skyflight replied.

He tentatively approached the shoreline. His paws were already wet, which was something he disliked. Wet paws were for ShadowClan cats, and water was for RiverClan cats. He scooted close to one of the gray logs, and prepared to jump into it. As soon as he did, a wave washed over him, leaving him soaking and wide-eyed.

"Agh!" he spat, blinking the stinging water out of his eyes.

As soon as he was right again, he made another jump. This time he managed to get halfway inside the log. His hind-paws were scrabbling against the outside of it as he desperately tried to push himself all the way in. He landed with a thunk inside the log. He couldn't see outside of it, which worried him. How would he know when he got somewhere?

"Alright," he meowed, "I'm ready to be pushed out into the water!"

He could hear scrambling as Four and Nine approached the log. They started pushing, grunting as they did. Before they knew it, the log was floating out in the ocean. The tide was pulling it further and further away.

Skyflight sat in the bottom of the log, holding his breath. He could feel the waves underneath, rocking him back and forth. He could only hope and pray that the water would take him back to the island that the Clans lived on.

_If you're listening... guide me back home, StarClan._


End file.
